Plains and Forests
by CandleHeadButt
Summary: In this Wreck-it-Ralph AU tale, we get a look into what really caused the discourse between Ralph and the Nicelanders and it seems to have been a spat between both groups spanning years.
1. Big and Small

Chapter One – Big and Small

They say there is a land somewhere hidden deep within our world. A place that we often miss with our own eyes but if we look hard enough, it's there. And if we are curious enough to venture further in, we can see a whole new world and its people.

Now this story is about two people in particular who inhabited this lush lands; the tiny Nicelanders of the plains and the mighty giants of the forest.

When these two people first arrived, things were fine. Things were calm.

But one day….something happened.

What happened? Well, ask any of both tribes but they would be a might confused to tell you the whole story. Now, from what they CAN tell you, either side did something to the other and both are rather angry. A fight between both people have been going on for years and it seems to be a fight that doesn't want to end.

Oh wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. You want to know MORE about the people rather than their fight DON'T YOU?

Alright. Sit down.

The Nicelanders are of a tiny people, many of them not even reaching four feet tall. They are round and stout, with small hands and feet. They definitely aren't contenders for strongest people on Earth and they can be picked on quite easily but what they lack in PHYSICAL strength they make up for in their tenacity and their building.

Yes, they LOVE to build and for years, that's what they were known for.

If a Nicelander came upon a land, they could construct a town in no time flat but with how harsh the environments were to them, they would often have to pack up and move once more to find a place where they were not easy pickings for something else.

And they were also known for PIES.

Just…PIES.

You have not LIVED until you've eaten Nicelander pie.

Now, the mighty giants of the forest?

Well, they're just that….GIANT and MIGHTY.

They are a rugged bunch, the shortest ones being no more than eight feet tall at best. No one seems to mess with these masters of the woods but who would want to?

They have the strength to crush a mountain with their hands, kick a country with their feet and considering how BIG their hands and feet ARE, that makes a lot of sense.

They too lived off the land but preferred the secluded protection of the forest but when they did come into contact with an outsider, the first thing they would always do was show off their great strength and power.

Of course, the might giants were more than just show. Just like the Nicelanders, they too had talents and that talent lied in WRECKING.

Wrecking sounds like such a bad thing doesn't it? Well, not to the mighty giants!

If you needed a stone wall cleared to make your way across a dangerous path, call upon a giant. They would wreck it away!

If you needed land cleared for planting, a giant would gladly come in and POUND the earth just right for you to throw seeds.

In essence, both the Nicelanders and the Giants of the Forest had their talents, talents that would work just WONDERFUL when combined if you think about it.

But as stated before, something happened.

The true events have been lost in the folds of time but at one point, the leaders of both sides found the other group useless, a nuisance, pathetic and stupid.

_'Look at those pipsqueak Nicelanders!' _The leader of the giants would say '_The only good thing they're for are collectin'! I could fit the whole lot of them in a jar and store 'em up for the winter!'_

_'Look at those lumbering giants!' _The leader of the Nicelanders would say '_All the do is think they're better than everyone else when they're nothing but destructive LOUTS!'_

Year after YEAR after YEAR these fights went on, neither side open their arms for the other. Things got so bad at a point that the giants would not allow their own to cross over into the plains and the Nicelanders would forbid themselves from wandering into the forest.

And the only thing that was separating the two was a line of stones.

This seemed to be the norm for both lands.

But did it have to continue like this? Did both sides have to embrace such hatred that their people would never see their neighbors?

What on Earth could happen that could end such a discourse between two rather fantastical people?


	2. Cabins and Teeth

Chapter Two – Cabins and Teeth

"RALPH!" called a large woman from a cabin "GET YOUR BIG RED BUTT BACK HERE!"

A hefty little fellow ROLLED out from his hiding place within a hollow log "But MOOOOOOOM!"

"Ya heard me, mister!" the woman called once more, her hands going on her hips "Ya knw what ya did so there's no point in hidin' from it! Come back here an' clean up this mess!"

The little giant grumbled, pouting as he stuck his huge hands in his tattered overall pockets.

"_Fooey…_" he said, kicking a nice sized rock with his toe, the thing barely making him flinch "I was just practicin'…."

The large woman walked up to the boy, placing a hand on his head "PRACTICING?"

Ralph looked up and gulped; by the way his mother was looking at him, she didn't seem impressed at all.

"Young man, I can understand that you want to become the greatest wrecker in the forest, but there is a GREAT difference between wrecking for GOOD…."

The woman then turned her son's head towards the cabin, a HUGE gaping hole showing through as plain as day.

"AN' JUST DOIN' STUFF TA BE DESTRUCTIVE…."

"L-Look!" Ralph stammered, blushing brightly "I-I didn't mean ta do that! I didn't do it! In fact-!"

"In fact WHAT?"

Ralph looked into his mother's eyes, the disappointing in them making him feel even worse. He sighed, shaking his head.

"In fact…." The small wrecker said "In fact….I'll clean it up."

Ralph's mother sighed, her anger slowly going away "Ralph?"

"Y-yes?"

"Is there somethin' ya wanna tell me baby?" the woman asked "Because…because it seems that there's somethin' else goin' on here…."

Ralph looked to the left and then to the right. What was he so frantic about?

_"Th-tha truth is, mom….th-tha truth?"_

Again, more hesitation. Ralph just could not speak. He groaned as he put his hand to his head and escaped from his mother's hold.

"Lemme just get the broom…or a shovel or…whatever we need ta fix this…."

"Oh, alright…." The big woman said, kissing her son on the forehead "Just…just be careful…"

Ralph mumbled something under his breath as he went to the shed, digging through the dank room to find a shovel.

"Stupid, stupid, STUPID!" he said to himself "Why can't I just tell her? Why can't I tell anyone?!"

The door creaked, swinging shut loudly. The small wrecker gasped once he found he was trapped inside.

"H-Hello?!"

_*Ca-CLICK.*_

The lights.

Who had turned them on?

"Hello, Wreck-It."

Ralph turned and scream, coming face to chest with…..

A girl?

"Heh, nice save…" the girl chuckled, tussling Ralph's hair roughly "I was sure ya wudda caved back there."

The smaller boy frowned, standing on his tip-toes to face the girl "I KNEW ya were gonna run away, TILLY!"

The big girl snickered, pulling Ralph's cheek "Aw, is it MY fault that my legs are strong enough to carry me faster?"

Ralph pushed away from the girl "Th-thanks to YOU, my mom thinks I wrecked the entire living room of the house! All because YA wanted ta fight with me!"

"Weeeell…." Tilly yawned, her large fingers trilling in the air "If ya would have spoken up, I wouldn't have THROWN your pathetic butt out tha wall. Heh, but it WAS fun though!"

"THAT'S IT!" Ralph bellowed, pushing past the girl "I'm gonna tell mama the truth! I'm not gonna be scared of ya anymore, Mati-**_AAAAAAAAAH!"_**

Ralph felt a strong arm reach back and PULL him into the shack. His feet left the ground and he came face to face with the angered eyes of the older giant, her brows furrowing.

"What did I tell ya, RALPH?"

Ralph shook in Tilly's hold; not only was she BIGGER than him, she was STRONGER and much MEANER as well.

"T-Tilly, this isn't fair!"

"Oh, it's NOT?!" the girl growled "WHO is the daughter of the town leader?"

"Y-You are."

"An' WHO has to make sure all ya lil wreckers STAY IN LINE?"

"Y-you do."

"RIGHT." Tilly said in a deep voice, dropping Ralph to the ground "Lemme tell ya somethin', RALPH. Ya open that big mouth of yours 'bout ANY of this, I'm drop kicking ya OUTTA this forest faster than ya can say 'I'M GONNA WRERCK IT!' YA UNDERSTAND?!"

Ralph shuddered in fear at the large girl, her eyes cutting right into him.

As much as he hated it, he knew there was nothing he could do. Being the daughter of leader of the giants, Tilly's word ALWAYS went above the other children of the forest, ESPECIALLY Ralph's. Being the youngest and 'smallest' of the bunch, Ralph still had some way to go before he was seen as a serious member of his group. But in the meantime, Tilly had made it her mission to ensure that the little wrecker followed her ever word….

Or carried out EVERY order she gave to him.

It didn't matter if she were nearly four years older than him, Ralph was just easy prey for her and she got much enjoyment watching him take the fall for all her actions and 'handiwork'.

Handiwork such as putting massive holes in the cabins of the other villagers just to show off her own impressive strength.

Ralph whimpered, getting back to his feet, Tilly sneering down at him evilly.

"So, ya gonna get to work cleanin' up or not?" the girl asked with a snicker "I'd HATE ta see your mama be disappointed in ya!"

The smaller wrecker lowered his head and walked out of the shed but as he looked back, Tilly seemed to have disappeared, her soft laugh the last thing he heard. He shivered again, picking up the pace as he walked back to his home.

"Gah, she's like a freakin' DEMON!" he snorted, finally making it to the door of his home, slamming it shut.

"Ralph?"

The big boy cried out once he saw his FATHER standing before him but to his surprise, and relief, the man didn't seem as upset as his mother.

"What tha heck is goin' on?" the man asked in concern, noticing that his son's hands were trembling.

"I-Its nothin' pop!" the little giant said, pushing his father away "I-I just wanna clean this up before night comes! W-What if it RAINS? Th-that would be BAD!"

"So, it that everythin'?" asked a little repairman in blue, putting the finishing touches on a damaged wall.

Finishing touches? It seemed where ever the repairman put his hammer some sort of magical light came forth from it, pieces of crumbling brick and broken wood reforming and becoming whole once more.

"Looks like it!" said his wife, smiling up as she held the ladder from below "Just don't hurt yourself up there, honey!"

"Heh, it comes with the job, dear!" the man laughed, jumping from his place on the ladder and landing rather gracefully next to his wife "But if you're THAAAT worried-!"

"Oh, Felix!" the woman giggled, her husband giving her a few smooches on the cheek.

"Papa!"

"Oh-uh, looks like we've been spotted!"

A little boy in an oversized cap came running up, his face filled with all sorts of excitement "Ya fixed a wall?! CAN I HELP!?"

"Oh, sorry champ. I just finished…" the older man said, picking his tiny son off the ground. The boy frowned, crossing his arms in a pout.

"Fooey, I'll NEVER get a chance ta fix anythin'!"

"Aw, but Felix…"

"No, it's NOT fair!" the boy pouted "Ya always tell me how I'm gonna be a GREAT fixer, but…but-!"

"But WHAT, son?" the man chuckled, thoroughly entertained by his son's pouting.

"B-But, I can't even use tha hammer yet!"

"Son, I've told ya this before…" Felix said as he put the boy back on the grass "Our hammer…it yields a lotta power an' it takes a lotta care ta use it right."

"Ya mean its not just 'TAP!', fixed?"

"Nope!" the man smiled "There is a lotta love an' carin' that goes inta fixin' things, son. It's not just some quick fix. If it were like that, then my entire work would be meaningless!"

Felix stood up, looking over the village and the tiny people who lived within it, Nicelanders going to and fro on their daily duties.

"Son, when your mother an' I found this place, it was a wreck. All tha Nicelanders needed help because they were no match ta whatever was attackin' em in tha forest. We had no place ta go so I offered in exchange for a home that I would help them keep it this place up!"

Felix laughed, the memories of the past sending a warm feeling into his heart.

"Never thought we would stay this long though. But after getting to know everyone, to see how much happier they became knowing they were safe we….we just couldn't leave. An' since then, I made a promise that we'd help them any chance we'd get."

The small boy looked up at his father with wide eyes "Is that what keeps tha hammer glowin' so bright?"

"I guess so." Felix chuckled "It always glows bright when it helps those in need…."

"But…but what would happen if someone ELSE got their hands on it?"

Felix gripped the handle of the hammer tight, feeling a bit nervous at the question "Son…."

Again, the little boy looked up at his father with curious eyes. He wanted to know what would happen if the magical instrument were to fall into the hands of others.

"Dear." The boy's mother said, picking him up off the ground "Um, why don't you play with the others?"

"But mama, papa didn't-!"

"He'll tell ya when you're older….just…just not right now."

"Oh, okay…" the boy pouted, walking off slowly towards the playground. Once he was out of sight, the woman turned, taking a hold of her husband.

"Honey….do ya think he'll ever find out?"

Felix shook his head "Phyllis, I hope not. Things are tough enough 'round here with both sides fightin'. If we're lucky, Felix won't have ta find out what happens when tha wrong person gets ahold of this thing…."

The younger Felix ran off to the playground, the tiny Nicelander children already there.

"Hiya guys!" the boy said happily, taking first dibs on a swing "Didja see that HUUUUUGE hole my papa just fixed back there?!"

"Didja see tha HUUUUUGE tree that caused tha hole in the first place?" said a little Nicelander, his mop of red hair covering his eyes "Wish I could have been awake ta see it! From what my mum said, it FLEEEW through the air like some sort of ROCKET!"

The red head stood up in the air, his arms going out as if imitating the flight of the massive log.

"FWEEEEEE-BOOM!" he said, jumping up in the air "There goes tha mayor's dinin' room!" he laughed, holding his chubby stomach in his hands "I never heard Mayor Ray SCREAM so loud!"

The kids laughed at the thought; the Mayor DID have a habit of…SCREAMING.

"I-I didn't think it was so fun…." Meeped a little Nicelander, sitting the in the lap of an older girl who was putting flowers in her hair "W-what if the forest people came here after that? Th-they would have smashed us like PANCAKES!"

"Megan, hold still…" the older girl said as she pulled back, trying to finish the braid she was working on.

_"Sorry…"_

"Oooh look guys!" teased a Nicelander in pink, a little smirk on her face "Meggy-Eggy is SCAAARED again! What a shock!"

Meg turned towards the girl, her lip quivering and tears forming "M-Mary, stop it! I-! Anyone would have been scared!"

"Meg, you're as bad as Roy!"

"HEY!"

"I'd betcha wet your pants if someone even so much as MENTION a Forest person were coming here!"

"N-No, I wouldn't!" Meg said angrily.

"Yes, you would!" Mary teased back, poking the girl on the nose.

"No, I wouldn't!" Meg replied, looking as if she were about to cry.

"Yes, ya w-!"

"Hey, Mary!" called Felix, jumping between the two "Lay off, okay? It's not fair to tease someone for bein' scared. I mean, I bet ya get scared too!"

"Me? I NEVER get scared!" boasted the girl "In fact, I betcha I could make it all tha way into the forest and see those stinky giant people before all of you!"

"Puh, not if Gene tattles to his dad before ya even set foot out the village!" laughed a little Nicelander decked out in purple and bows "Hehe, your mama would whoop ya so fast, your BOOTY would be more pink than ya!"

Mary put her foot down hard on the ground, her tiny hands balled into tiny fist "Gene better NOT open his big fat mouth! I'll take his big booty an' ROLL him down the nearest hill!"

"Wait…" said Felix "Where IS Gene?"

"Anyone check underfoot?" said the red head "Ya know how easy it is for him to get lost!"

The tiny Nicelander in purple kicked the red head in the butt, the boy crying out "Nory."

One of the older children, a rather large Nicelander with blond hair and a sailing emblem on his shirt, looking about. He then spotted the wayward Nicelander under a large chestnut tree.

"Ah, there he is!" he pointed with a smile "Hey, Ge-!"

Mary PUSHED the larger boy out of the way, her hands going to her mouth.

"HEY, BLUEBERRY BOTTOM!"

"Leaf mef alooon-OW!"

"What's wrong with him?" asked Felix, the others shrugging. Taking off Felix ran over to the tree, noticing the rather chubby, and undersized, Nicelander sitting in the shade, his shoulders hunched and a hand to a swollen cheek.

"Gene, ya okay?"

The boy shook his head, only to whimper and cry out again. The others gathered around Felix, looking down at the son of their leader.

"Hey, is it that tooth?" asked the oldest boy, poking Gene in the back with a stick. The tiny boy nodded.

Felix looked at the older boy curiously "His tooth? What do ya mean, Don?"

"I think Miss Annie said somethin' bout one of his baby teeth comin' out…" Don said towards Felix.

"An' it HUUUURTS!" Gene whined, rubbing his chubby cheek "I-I can't eat my favorite foods or anythin', it hurts so much!"

Mary snorted, turning her head "His BABY teeth? He can't lose 'em fast enough bein' the big baby that he i-!"

"Okay, enough!" Felix said, scowling down at the pink Nicelander "Why do ya always hafta be so MEAN ta him Mary?"

Mary gave Felix an unimpressed look. She might have been TWO FEET shorter than him but she wasn't going to let him boss her around!

She crossed her arms, her cheeks puffing out again in a pout "When ya have as many pies stolen by him as I have-!"

Despite his painful tooth, Gene stood up, having to get on his TIP-TOES to even get a good length towards the girl "Who would want your ratty ol' pies,**_ PINKY FARTY BUTT!_**"

Mary blushed brightly but her anger returned "Big fat blueberry booger!"

"Dinky pinky stinky tootie head!"

"BABY EATS-A-LOT!"

"MARY BERRY MEANIE PANTS!"

"STOP!" cried Felix, pulling Mary away "Ya guys are yellin' so much, **_MY_** teeth are startin' ta hurt!"

"Hey Felix!" said a young boy with red glasses "Do ya think your dad can fix Gene's tooth? I mean, maybe if ya hit it with his hammer, it might come out!"

"Ya can do that with ANY hammer, Nolan!" laughed Nory, ignoring Felix's eyes lighting up.

This was it.

This was his chance to prove to his father that not only could he use the magic hammer but he could use it to help someone!

"YES!"

The Nicelanders all looked at Felix, stepping away at his sudden outcry.

"That's PERFECT!"

"Er, WHAT'S perfect?" asked Don.

Without warning, Felix grabbed Gene by his hand and carried him off towards the apartment.

"F-Felix?" called a nervous Nicelander behind Don "Wh-where are you going?!"

"To FIX somethin', Roy!" the boy called back, all a smiles and his heart racing "An' then they'll see! I will be tha NEXT Fix-It!"


	3. Pride and Hammers

Chapter Three – Pride and the Hammers

The great bell went off in the forest, many of the giants gathering around the town center.

"What's going on?" asked one of the female forest people, a baby in her arm. Another mother came near her, looking just as concerned.

"I don't know! You think it's about what happened last night?!"

Once everyone had made it to the center of the meeting point, the ringer of the bell held out his hand.

"Alright, alright! Now that we have your attention-!"

"Oh, come off it…." came a deep voice from the back. The ringer jumped back, the podium CREAKING under the huge footsteps of ENORMOUS figure steeping up. The villagers all looked in both awe and fear, their great leader approaching them.

Huge muscles accented with only bigger hands and feet.

Dark brown scruffy hair.

Height that seemed to on towards the sky.

Horace. Horace the Honorable.

Just the mere mention of his name struck fear into the giant people but being the BIGGEST and the BADDEST of the bunch, what wouldn't?

"Right, we all know who this is. You can pick up your jaws now." He chuckled.

The villagers all took a step back, a little intimidated by the form of their great leader, unaware that the man was taking a great enjoyment to watching them squirm in his shadow.

"I'm sure PLENTY of you know what I called this meeting now, is that CORRECT?"

A few younger giants slunk back into the crowd; there was no doubt they were being called out for the little 'prank' they had pulled the night before.

"AH, AH, AH!" Horace called out, a finger pointing towards the back "Don't think I can't see you. Get back here!"

The group of younglings gulped as they crawled up to the front of the group, all eyes going towards them, whispers floating in the crowd. Once at the stage, the leader grabbed the lot of them with his huge hands, lifting them up as if they weighed nothing at all.

"You boys! Sneakin' out in the middle of the night! Causin' such trouble!" Horace growled, dropping the lot of them onto the stage "An' from what I hear, you caused even more damage to those gibberin' Nicelanders! What did you do?! Throw ROCKS at them?"

"A-actually, sir…." meeped one of the boys "It was trees…"

"Hey, SHUT UP!"

"TREES?!" the leader roarded, his huge voice booming in the forest "You mean to tell me you took TREES and HURLED them into the Nicelander village?!"

"Y-YES SIR!" cried one of the boys, fearing for his life "But we're sorry! We know we're not supposed to cross the border unless instructed so-!"

Without warning, the mighty leader began to laugh, his laughter even more powerful than his screams. The crowd, as well as the boys still on stage, looked on in shock at the joyful musing of their leader, the huge man putting his hands to his sides powerfully.

"Great job, m'boys! Great job!"

Still cowering on the stage, the boys slowly began to come to though they still weren't sure how to respond to their leader.

"Aw, get up. Get up…" the huge man said as he helped the teens back on their feet "I cannot tell you boys enough times how much it warms my heart to hear stories about how we sent those lil SPECKS fleein' about in terror!"

"Um…." Said one of the boys, still feeling uncomfortable "Thank you sir?"

"You see everyone!" the leader said proudly "THIS is the future! Not afraid to go out, and definitely not afraid to show everyone who OWNS this land!"

The leader walked across the stage, placing a hand on his daughter head "Its young men like YOU who remind me that this is the perfect place to raise my daughter…"

Suddenly, the leader's mood shifted, becoming a bit darker towards the others.

"But good instances like this don't mean that things are perfect for us…" the man began, clenching a huge fist "Those Nicelanders are getting' BOLD. They're startin' ta fight back an' what's more, DESPITE how many times we try to fight them, they stay in place! You'd think they would have moved on by now, but they're still there. An' do you people know why?"

A silence fell of the crowd, the citizens all eying each other.

"It's because of those….those….WHOEVER they are!"

"E-Excuse me, sir?"

"I've only seen them from afar but there are three of them. Three people who DEFINITELY are not Nicelander but ever since they came along, things have changed in that village. Things get….get REPAIRED so much faster than normal. No wonder those bugs haven't moved on, not when they can fix their village so fast!"

"DO you have any idea as wo who they are, sir?"

"No, no I do not…." The leader said, shaking his head "But I DO know the tool that they use."

All eyes were on the leader, his eyes narrowing.

"It's a hammer….a golden one…" he hissed in a low tone "I was able to see it in action one day and its power! You can only IMAGINE it but even from afar, I could see it! FEEL IT!"

The man turned, his back towards the others, memories flooding back.

"Anything he touches, anything, it miraculous fixes itself. HEALS! Becomes STRONGER! Such power in the hands of such a foolishly optimistic small whelp….and yet, I cannot think of what such a power would do for us!"

A huge smile on his face, Horace turned around back towards his people, excitement glowing in his eyes.

"Think about it people! WE'LL be the ones in charge! We'll finally be able to push those pathetic Nicelanders away from this place an' we can make our territory bigger! Isn't that what we want?!"

A cheer rose from the crowd, all agreeing with the leader.

Well, nearly all.

In the midst of the crowd, three giants looked around, feeling a tad trapped by the calls of their neighbors. The male of the bunch held onto his wife and son, slowly stepping back to exist the crowd.

_"Dad?"_ asked Ralph.

_"Shhh."_

"Pop, that sounds like a GREAT idea!" said Tilly, standing up and running to her father, hugging him lovingly "Just think of what MAMMA would think if she saw you come up with such a plane!"

The leader fell silent for a moment, looking down at his grinning daughter.

His wife.

Yes, she would have LOVED to hear her beloved say such things, to lead their people t great things.

"Yes! This is what we want for our children right?!" the leader roared, his voice echoing throughout the forest "Don't we want them to have better lives, to live without fear?!"

"YES!"

"Then who is with me? We shall plan to take that hammer, no matter who gets in our way?!"

"YES!"

The crowd began to cheer, though the boys who had started the entire fiasco sat stunned on the stage. One of them moved towards the leader of the bunch, whispering in his ear.

_"You think he'd think differently if we told him TILLY was tha one who threw the first tree?"_

_"SHH!"_said the other, clamping a hand over the smaller boy _"He'll throw us into the next valley if we so much as mention that!"_

As the crowd continued to go into a frenzy, Ralph and his parents careful made their way out of the meeting, walking as fast as they could towards their cabin.

"Dad, what's up?" asked Ralph, a little concerned at how worried his father looked "I've never seen ya look so scared towards th-!"

"Ralph…" the man said, kneeling on his knees and looking at his son "Promise me ONE thing. PLEASE!"

"A-ah, sure thing pop."

"Promise me here an' now ya will never, EVER raise your fist against someone who ya know can't fight back!"

"W-what?"

The big man looked exhausted, his eyes showing forth a lot of hidden pain to his son. Finally catching his breath, the big man stood, a hand placed atop Ralphs' head.

"Ralph….look. I know…I know there are certain DIFFERENCES between us an' tha Nicelanders but…."

Ralph looked over at his mother, confused as to what was going on.

"Pop…what's wrong?"

The larger wrecker continued to walk, one hand clutching his son's while an arm draped around his wife "I never liked this son. I never have."

"You never liked WHAT?"

"This tiff." The big man answered "It happened long before I was born, before your GRANDFATHER was born…heck, even before your GREAT-grandfather was born but all I know now is that I'm sick of it! Every time I see those lil butter-chunks….I can't do what Horace orders us to!"

"W-why not?" asked Ralph "They are our enemies right?"

"I…."

Ralphs' father hesitated, looking down at his son and then turning to his wife. The pain returned again but he knew he could no longer stay quite about it.

He had to say something.

"Kiddo….bout a few years ago, a few months before you were born, Horace sent me on some…'MISSION' ta get some stuff from the Nicelander village. Being the big dummy that I was, I went through it without hesitation. It wasn't as if this was my FIRST time bangin' up those lil chunckers. I did it a lotta times before an' I actually ENJOYED it!"

"B-but what happened?" asked Ralph, looking up at his father.

"Well…" Ralph's father said as he clutched onto the hands of his wife "I….."

"Y-Yeah?"

"That day…that day when I came, I hid in the brush, those lil fluff balls unable to see me. I was ready to jump, I was ready to go out…and then…and then I saw one of them. No, TWO of them. A little man an' a woman…and she was pregnant."

"She was gonna have a baby?"

"Y-Yeah. I don't even remember WHICH one it was, I always thought they looked the same but she just stood there, holding onto her husband and kissin' him. And…it made me think of your mother…an' you. It then hit me what I was doin'. Those tiny pipsqueaks….they had families. They had kids just like us and just like us they only wanted to live in peace. It then hit me if I were to bust in then, I would be hurtin' so many people. What if I did somethin' ta that woman. Ta her baby? I then thought…what if someone else, someone more powerful than US just came through and decided to wipe US out? Hurting you an' your mother?"

The big man shook his head, biting his lip.

"It was the most painful thing I had even been through in my life….but as I looked at those lil guys down below…I couldn't do it anymore. I just couldn't it."

"I-Is that why ya didn't stay back there?"

"Y-yeah…" sighed Ralphs' father "Ta see everyone so GLEEFULLY happy hurtin' people like that. I know we're BIG, I know we're POWERFUL but….but I can't take it anymore. I can't take it that we really think that in order to make our presence known, we have to kick people around like that. It's no wonder those chunkers are startin' ta retaliate against us! If I were poked enough times, I would too but-!"

The big man stopped, surprised at how scared Ralph looked at the moment. He shook his head, standing tall.

"Look, we best get back….from the way things sound back there, things are gonna be tense for the next coupl'a days."

Ralph looked back, seeing and hearing the excitement of his neighbors cheering at the leader but the more he saw them celebrate, the more he began wonder.

What if his father were right?

What if things were not the way the leader suggested?

"Does anyone see anyone else comin'?" Felix whispered to the others. Nolan adjusted his glasses, looking back and forth down the hall.

"Nope!"

"Felix, is this such a good idea?" asked Don "I mean, not that I wanna question someone tryin' ta help out but ya know what your dad said! No one is to touch that hammer except for him!"

"He'll understand!" smiled Felix, still holding onto Gene's hand "'Sides, once Gene is feelin' better, he'll be PROUD of me!"

Gene shuddered at the thought; true, he did look up to Felix for watching over the other Nicelander kids but there were some things he still wasn't sure of. He had watched Felix Sr. use his hammer so many times at his father's orders and he knew what they could do to brick and stone.

But to a person?

"I-I dun know…." Gene whined, trying to get away but Felix's hold was much stronger than the tiny Nicelander's "M-Maybe dad is right. I just hafta wait!"

"No, Gene! You're in pain!" Felix said in concern "I can't just let someone stay like this when I know I can help an' I wanna help!"

Felix opened the door to his parents' room, tip-toeing with Gene behind him.

"Shhh!"

The small boy in blue went to the closet; unknown to his parents, he had watched his father try to hide the hammer at night, putting it somewhere in the closet at night. Felix knew he could find the thing though but he had to be careful doing so. If his parents found that one thing was out of place, he would be confined to the corner for who knew how long!

"I know it's in here SOMEWHERE…." the boy whispered to himself, moving boxes and clothing out of the way.

"Wow, never knew tha Fix-its place looked like this…" said Norwood as he looked around "Everythin' is so….BIG!"

"Well, they ARE taller than us…." said Deanna.

"Shhh! One of the adults might hear!" Felix said, hushing the Nicelanders again "Don't worry Genie, I'll have that tooth fixed soon enough!"

"O-okay…" the chubby Nicelander said, a hand going back to his cheek "J-Just so long as it doesn't hurt!"

"It won't! It's just a-!"

"GUYS!"

Felix rose up suddenly, hitting his head on a shelf in the closet "OW!"

"It's Felix's mom! She's comin' down the hall FAST!"

"Everyone get in here!" called Felix.

"B-but where?!" stammered Roy, jumping back and forth.

Without warning, Felix ran behind all the Nicelanders and began SHOVING them under closet, the tiny bunch squished together.

"Now why is the door open?" said Phyllis in the front room. Felix let out a little yelp as he joined his friends, shutting the door behind him.

Phyllis walked into the bed room but saw nothing. Everything was were it should have been; the bed was made, the clothes were all in their place in the dresser….

Everything was spic-and-span.

The woman put a finger to her lips, still feeling a bit odd as she stood in the bedroom. Things were just TOO quiet and the fact that the apartment WASN'T filled with the sound of the children running around…

_"Hmmmm…."_

A little crack opened in the closet, two blue eyes looking out.

_"Is she leavin'?!"_

_"No, but shut up!"_

_"Gah!"_

_"Get your butt outta my face, Roy!"_

A chill went up Phyllis' spine as she looked at the closet.

There….whatever was making her feel on edge was coming from there.

"Oh no!" meeped Felix, sweating bullets the closer his mother got "No, no, no-!"

Phyllis put her hand on the door handle and gave it a twist….

"Honey!"

The door flew open but at the same time, the woman turned her head away, looking out the door.

"Felix, is that you?"

"Yeah!" the man called from the other room "I could use your help with somethin'! Mayor Raymond is in one of his 'moods' again!"

The woman moaned and shook her head….completely unaware of the PILE of children behind her, all looking and holding their breaths as the woman stood mere inches away from them. All she had to do was turn her back and-!

"Comin'!" Phyllis called, walking out of the room. A few moments later, the door shut loudly, signally for all the kids to come TUMBLING out of the tight space, Nicelander children ROLLING all over the room.

"Urgh, never again!" growled Don, standing up and pulling Roy away by his ankles "I don't know what ya guys do ta get me into stuff like this but-!"

"Don, don't leave!" Felix called a happy look on his face "Look at what I got!"

The boy rose his hand in the air, the golden hammer clutched tightly in his finger. The power of the hammer was felt by all who stood in the room, their mouths agape as the golden glow washed over them.

"Y-ya found it!"

"Yup!" said Felix "An' now…."

All eyes went to Gene, the short little boy jolting back, his hand going to his swollen cheek.

"A-ah! I think I hear mommy callin'-!"

"C'mere, Genie…." Felix said "Let's fixed that tooth…."

From Gene's point of view, Felix was coming down on the boy like some twenty foot monster, a creepy grin on his face and the hammer held out as if he were going to bust his skull in. The boy's eyes shrank and his face paled.

Even with a bad tooth-ache, THIS WASN'T WORTH IT!

Without warning, Gene DUCKED and ROLLED under Felix's leg, tearing as fast as he could out of the apartment.

"GAH! GENE!"

"He's KINDA getting' away!" shouted Norwood.

"GET 'IM!" Mary laughed, just wanting to chase after Gene to be mean "I'm gonna get ya, Blueberry Butt!"

"MARY! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Gene screamed, his arms held out before him, his tiny legs carrying as fast as they could move. The girl giggled loudly, her fingers inches from him.

"I'm gonna sit ya down an' fed ya worm pie! An' THEN Felix is gonna 'fix' all your teeth!"

Gene was BAWLING at this point, wanting to get from EVERYONE!

"G-Get away from me, DOODIE HEADS!"

"Hey everyone! Mary is gonna give Gene cooties!"

"SHUT UP TONY!"

"G-Guys wait!" stammered Felix as he went after the rest of the Nicelander kids "SCARIN' HIM WON'T WORK!"

As Felix ran out of the room, one important thing didn't cross his mind.

And that was that he still had the hammer in his hand.


	4. Caught

Chapter Four – Caught

Ralph sat inside his room, trying his best to take his mind off the meeting that had happened earlier. He looked at himself in the mirror, seeing back a boy with wild bushy hair and huge hands.

"Excuse me!" he said, deepening his voice in order to sound like his father "Heard ya needed some help wreckin' some rocks!"

The boy snickered, brushing back his hair "Why YES. These fist o'mine ARE naturally big! Its tha only way ta go!"

There was no doubt about; Ralph was a spitting image of his great big papa and the boy LOVED that fact. If things worked out as he hoped, he'd be just as big…no, BIGGER and stronger than Rudy!

The best wrecker in the forest.

"RALPH!"

The boy shouted out upon hearing his name ROARED at him, dropping to the floor and ducking.

"Hehe, whad' I tell ya guys…." laughed a cruel voice "Down he goes!"

Ralph looked up, seeing Tilly and a few other kids with her, the girl sneering down at Ralph. The boy stood on his feet and gave the older girl a mean look; he had had enough of her antics for one day. He wasn't about to get suckered in for more.

"What are ya doin' here, MATILDA?" Ralph growled "Daddy isn't pamperin' ya enough?"

Tilly snorted; Ralph's insults meant NOTHING to her.

"Aw, tha widdle baby is UPSET!" the girl jeered back, her followers all laughing with her "I only came here 'cuz I wanted ya to head out of the village with us tonight, short stuff!"

Ralph crossed his arms "An' what in tha world would make ya think I would want to go ANYWHERE with YOU, Tilly?"

Tilly slid her way into Ralph's room from the window, walking up to the boy and glaring down at him.

"That wasn't a SUGGESTION, Ralph." She growled, backing Ralph near a wall "That was an ORDER."

Ralph felt as tiny as a Nicelander as Tilly overshadowed him, his hands feeling the sides of the wall.

"N-No!" Ralph growled, putting his foot down "I'm tired of this Tilly! Ya can't do this ta pe-!"

Tilly reached down and picked Ralph up by his collar, her jagged teeth showing through a crooked smile.

"I don't think you heard me the first time, RALPH. I'm not SUGGESTING that you come with us…."

She gripped the boy's collar TIGHTER, choking Ralph a bit.

"I'm TELLIN' ya."

Ralph could feel his body shaking in Tilly's hold but before he could say ANYTHING, the girl clamped a huge hand over his mouth and SHOVED him out the window.

"Make sure he doesn't make a peep!"

Before Ralph could get away, a large group of giant children grabbed him, their combined strength too great for the younger and smaller giant. He thrashed and he kicked but it was no use! He was TRAPPED.

"S-Someone HE-!"

Tilly slapped Ralph on his exposed belly, the boy crying out through a muffled mouth "Aw, quit your belly achin'! This is gonna be fun!"

"Say Tilly?" asked a boy "Where are we headin' anyway?"

"Back down to the Niceland village…" the girl sneered "Daddy was all a'glow about how we did such a fine job tearin' 'em up the first time. Let's see how proud he'll be once we do it again!"

Ralph's skin went cold once he heard his destination.

The Niceland village? His father had already told him how much it hurt him to even go near the place and now Ralph was helpless to run away from it.

He could only hope that things didn't turn out as messy Tilly was making it sound. From the way the girl was talking, she was ready to crush a few Nicelanders under her massive feet.

"Don't let Gene get away!" Mary called at the top of her lungs, laughing like mad "Get the blueberry! GET THE BLUEBERRY!"

Gene was crying his head off as he ran as fast as he could down the halls. If only he could reach his apartment, then things would be safe! But as he turned around, he saw a WAVE of kids heading his way, Felix right behind Mary, his father's golden hammer above his head.

"GENE! JUST LET ME FIX IT!"

"I'M GONNA SHOVE YA INTA A PIE!"

"GUYS! WHY ARE WE RUNNIN'?!"

"NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Gene screeched but as he did so...

Trip.

Something came under his tiny feet and with a little BUMP and a BOUNCE, Gene began ROLLING down the hall like some sort of tiny ball wrapped in a blue sweater. Mary continued to laugh, watching Gene bounce from wall to another during his journey.

"Told ya he rolled!"

"Mary!" growled Felix, picking the girl up "I told ya NOT ta-!"

The little boy said nothing more, taking Mary in his arms and chasing after Gene "Phew! Ya guys pick up so much speed when ya begin' rollin'!"

Outside the apartment, a few visitors crept their way closer to the building, the sounds of screaming children only peaking their interest.

_"Whoa, ya guys hear THAT?"_ whispered Tilly, holding out a hand to stop the others.

_"Sounds like some bruh-ha-ha is goin' on in there!"_

_"Pfft, they're NICELANDERS!" _the girl chuckled to herself _"They're always doin' somethin' stupid!"_

On her signal, the group of giant children moved ever closer to the building, getting towards the windows. As it was nightfall, no one took notice of them as they reached the window and as they glanced inside….

"Some one stop him!" shouted Felix, his hammer still held in his hand as he chased after Gene.

"FELIX! PUT ME DOWN!"

_"What in the world-?!"_

Tilly and the others looked on as they saw the PARADE of Nicelander kids running and yelling down the hallway, the children much too preoccupied to even notice what was going on.

"See?" said one of the giant kids "THIS is what we're up against."

Ralph said nothing. Granted, he COULD say nothing as Tilly still had her mouth over his hand. She moved further down the length of the building, the younger boy still stuck in her grasp.

"Hehe, now this is where our plan comes into ACTION!"

"What plan?"

"On the count o'THREE, we throw Ralphie-Boo here INTA tha apartments!"

Ralph let out a muffled CRY as he shook in Tilly's arms but the girl was just too strong for him. Tilly LOVED to see Ralph squirm in her hold and she wasn't doing this just for him to get a taste of harassing Nicelanders.

She was doing this because to her, Ralph was the PERFECT scape goat for everything.

IF the Nicelanders retaliated, they would retaliate on RALPH, not her. She would be free to do as much damage as she wanted to and if someone got caught it wasn't going to be her.

_"One-!"_

**_"MMP!"_**

_"Two-!"_

Ralph thought back to the words his father had said, feeling terrible for what he was being forced to do.

"TH-!"

_"Matilda, DUCK!"_

_"What are ya babblin' a-?!"_

_"LOOK!"_

Tilly looked back into the building but what she saw stunned her into silence.

She had been caught.

Before her stood the smallest Nicelander, the girl decked in purple and bows, staring up at her in shock. Tilly hadn't anticipated being caught so soon and as she looked down at the tiny thing, she found she was unable to move.

"UH."

"GIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANT!" the little girl screamed, running as fast as she could "GIANT IS HERE GIANT IS HERE GIANT IS HERE!"

The other children stopped in horror, Gene only stopping when he crashed into a WALL.

**_"BLUGHTH!"_**

"Nel?!" gasped Felix, realizing that in his haste, Nel had fallen behind….

And now it seemed that she was the target of an another giant attack!

"Oh, BOO!" Tilly shouted, throwing Ralph behind her and jumping forward, SMASHING he huge fist through the wall "STUPID THING! GET BACK HERE!"

The sound of breaking mortar and glass was enough to knock EVERYONE in the building off their feet, the adults running from their apartments and into the hall.

"What the HELL is going on?!" screamed one Mayor Raymond, the man furious as he ran in front of the others but as he saw the continuous PUNCHES flying through the wall, it was only obvious what was happen.

"Oh dear Lord!"

"PRUNELLA!" cried another small Nicelander, panic on her face "They're after my baby!"

Nel cried helplessly as she tried to move faster but every step she took, another FIST exploded from the wall, trying their best to grab her.

"RALPH, HELP US!" Tilly barked outside, her hands pulling out from the wall "You're a FOREST GIANT! Don't waste your talents, do somethin'!"

Ralph only stood, shaking his head _"N-no…"_

"RALPH!"

"NO!" the boy bellowed as loud as he could "I'm TIRED of this, Tilly! I'm tired of ya BULLYIN' me, I'm tired-!"

"Oh my god, there's one of them!" shouted a voice from above.

Ralph looked up, seeing a few Nicelander adults looking down at him from the top stories of the building.

"W-wait!" the boy cried, waving his hands franticly "I-I can GAAAH!"

With a SPLAT and a CRACK, Ralph felt something EXPLODE on him. He opened his eyes, feeling something cold and slimy going down his face.

Eggs?

"Get away!" cried Nicelander Nathan, the large red-head throwing a sack of flour down upon the helpless boy, not even NOTICING the other giant kids wrecking the apartment from below.

"B-But SIR-!"

"LEAVE US ALONE!"

"GO BACK TO THE FOREST!"

Ralph was pelted by an onslaught of kitchen items, the boy falling back as he crawled back to the forest but meanwhile, Tilly looked back, smiling.

She LOVED seeing Ralph suffer.

_"Hehe, WUSS."_

She turned back, continuing her onslaught on the inside but she had no idea what was happening with the others inside.

"Felix?! FELIX?!"

The small boy looked back, his parents running around the corner.

"Mama! Papa!" the boy cried happily "We're-!"

"Is….is that my hammer?!" Felix Sr. asked, aghast to see it in his son's hands "Where did you get THAT!?"

Felix Jr. gulped, shrinking back "I-I was-!"

"NEL!"

"Violet!" Felix Sr. gasped, getting up and pushing his son out of the way but not before RIPPING the magic hammer out of his hands "Get tha others an' STAY back!"

"But papa!"

"I SAID STAY BACK!" Felix Sr. roared "You're in ENOUGH trouble as it is young man, now listen an' stay down!"

Felix Jr. shook in the presence of his father but he did what he was told, leading the other children out of the way as the attacks continued.

"W-What do we do?!" asked Nicelander Val, clutching onto her husband, the apartments coming down.

"Phyllis! Take care of those fist!"

Phyllis nodded, grabbing a broken base board and running towards the fray, smacking the hands out of their holes.

"Back! BACK!"

Felix Sr. on the other hand was darting to and from, repairing the collapsing building around everyone. The hammer glowed and rang with each hit, the building regaining its strength to the Nicelanders' delight. From her point of view, Tilly watched as the small repairman continued to fix everything, her eyes widening at the sight.

"Its…its even better than what daddy said!"

"Get the kids outta here!" someone called from inside, snapping Tilly from her stupor.

Right, she had some Nicelanders to catch.

Nel was still trying to get away from the hands but she tripped, Tilly's large fingers grabbing on her skirt! The tiny girl screamed in terror as she felt herself being pulled back.

"Got one of 'em!" Tilly laughed, tugging harder, pulling Nel out from the hole.

**_"MAMAAAAAAAAA"!_**

Nicelander Violet screamed horribly but she was held back by the others, the small woman no match for the giants that lay outside.

Tilly seemed proud of her prize, grinning evilly as she held Nel upside down by her skirt.

"Hello, fatty..."

"PUT ME DOWN!" Nel screamed, tears in her eyes.

"Oh, I will…" the larger girl smirked "When I get home that is!"

"HEY!"

Tilly looked back, seeing a flour covered Ralph charging at her "PUT HER DOWN, MATILDA!"

Without warning, Ralph PLOWED into Tilly, sending both her and himself through the walls of the apartment, landing RIGHT in front of the other Nicelanders and the Fix-Its! The group gasped in horror as they saw the two giant children before them, but Nel was still clutched in side Tilly' hand.

"MAMA!"

"Someone, HELP HER!" cried Violet, Raymond holding her back. Before either Nicelander knew what was going on, Phyllis jumped forward again, the base board still clutched in her hands.

"Ya big brute, LET HER GO!"

With a large WHACK, Phyllis hit Tilly square in the face, the giant girl crying out in pain as she let go of Nel. The baby flew through the air but was caught by Felix Sr. who happened to jump by in the nick of time.

"GOTCHA!"

Tilly recovered quickly, growing angrily as she looked at Phyllis.

"Annoyin' WHIMP! I'm gonna make ya-!"

***BAM!***

Ralph SLUGGED Tilly in the face, tears of anger in his eyes as he held her down.

**_"STOP IT!"_**

"What do ya think you're-!?"

***BAM!***

Another hit and Tilly was knocked to the floor once more. Ralph was BEYOND angry this time, letting out all his anger and fear the girl had placed on him for YEARS.

"Stop bein' so MEAN!" the boy shouted loudly, the Nicelanders in AWE at what they were seeing "THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO YOU! STOP BEIN' A BULL-!"

***KA-POW!***

Ralph might have been strong, but Tilly was STRONGER. One punch from HER fist and the boy went FLYING out of the apartment, crashing on the ground. Rage was in the girls' eyes as she busted her way out of the apartment, looking back at the Nicelanders in anger.

They weren't worth her time nor anger now for something else had taken her spot.

"Grab him." The girl ordered the others, the older children swarming over Ralph, making sure he couldn't escape. The girl growled angrily, turning her head back to the panicking Nicelanders.

"As for YOU, boils!"

The girl swung a fist, knocking another large hole in the wall but this time, the surrounding area began to collapse within it.

"Everyone get back!" cried Felix Sr., picking up his son and wife as he rushed out of the way.

There was a large crash and an enormous cloud of dust but once all was clear, the group found that the giants had VANISHED into the night. Everyone slowly began to recover, looking at the unholy mess that lay before them.

"O-oh GRACIOUS!" Violet sobbed, clutching tightly onto her daughter "Th-they're getting BOLDER!"

"It's going to fine, Violet…" Mayor Ray said but here wasn't comfort in his voice, only anger "Felix."

"Y-Yes sir?"

"I don't care WHAT has to be done but we need to come up with a way to keep those filthy brutes AWAY from us!"

"I-I know sir, but-!"

"Don't you DARE BUT ME, FELIX!" the tiny man said, turning red in the face "I'm sick of having EVERYONE panic around here! If we have to find a way to CAGE those people up, so be it! I'm NOT having us cower in fear any longer!"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down Mayor…" said Nicelander Jon "Caging people up? Isn't that taking it to the EXTREME?"

"Was that your son out there, Jon? Wasn't that Nolan who almost got CRUSHED under the hand of those DISGUSTING animals?!"

Jon stepped back, a little shocked at how Ray was talking to him "B-but he's fine now. We-!"

"Everyone, listen up…" the mayor growled "I knew the day would come when those backwoods FREAKS would get bold around us. They've crossed the line THIS time, attacking our children! We've been 'kind' towards them long enough!"

"But Mayor-!"

"I AM NOT FINISHED YET!" the man roared, the others stepping away. He stopped, panting and fuming but finally seeing that his fellow Nicelanders seemed SCARED of him. He then looked over to the side, Gene staggering out of the mess and looking dizzy.

"W-what happen-NYAAAGH!"

"Gene…" growled the mayor "Care to explain WHY Felix was chasing you with his FATHER'S hammer?"

Gene looked at his father with huge eyes. Forget the tooth ache, the way his own FATHER was looking at him was enough to take his mind off the pain. The small Nicelander began to whimper, unable to take the eyes his father was giving him.

"GENE!"

"MY TOOTH HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURTS!" the young boy wailed, Ray holding him some distance away as if he were disgusted with his own child.

"ANNE."

"I've got him…" the woman in dark mauve sighed, gently taking her chubby son into her arms "Gene, stop. There's no need to cry like this at your age."

"What!?" Felix Sr. yelled "You took my hammer for a TOOTH ACHE?!"

Felix shrank back, the other Nicelander children behind him "B-But I was just tryin' ta help, pa-!"

Felix Sr. scooped his son into his arms but he wasn't happy, not in the least.

"We will talk about this once we get home, SON." The man said, clearly disappointed "Until then, ya are ta sit in tha corner!"

"But pop-!"

"NO BUTS!" the man ordered, shoving Felix into the apartment "Do ya have ANY idea what kinda danger we would have been had ya LOST tha hammer?!"

"Do ya have ANY idea what type ofd trouble you're in, Wreck-It?!" growled Tilly, the girl poking Ralph in his chest.

"M-Me?!" Ralph meeped "B-But this was all YOUR idea!"

"Yes, it WAS my idea but WHO messed it up, HMM?"

Ralph lowered his head, his left eye aching something horrible after having it punched in by Tilly. He growled, raising his head against the girl.

"Tilly, ya know what? I don't care!"

"What?"

"I don't care WHAT ya do ta me anymore! I'm sick of ya pushin' me an' everyone else around! Ya can't do this ta people!"

"An' why NOT!?" the girl bellowed, making Ralph bend back with her height "I'M tha daughter of tha leader here! I can do whatever I want!"

"No, you CAN'T!" Ralph shouted, pushing the girl back "An' when I tell, YOU'RE gonna-!"

"Right…" the girl snickered "Tell, I DARE ya ta tell, Ralph."

Ralph looked over at the girl, noticing the face-eating grin she gave him. He shivered at the sight but he knew he had to stand his ground against her. If not him, who else?

"Ya can cry an' cry all ya want…." Tilly purred, tussling Ralph's hair "But there's one than ya keep forgettin'….Since I'm the HONORABLE daughter, MY words will ALWAYS go up against yours!"

"Th-that's no true!"

"Then try it, short stuff…" the girl smiled, crossing her huge arms "Try it an' see how many people believe ya. Ya see all these bruises ya put on my face? When I tell people YA got angry at me for no reason an' hit me, they'll be on ya faster than a bear going after a honey-covered Nicelander!"

Ralph turned red in anger, balling his huge fist "B-but what about tha people who say ya got beat up by a kid like me?! HUH!?"

"I'll just say I would NEVER put my hands on such a WEAK an' WAYWARD wrecker like ya!" Tilly cooed, tickling Ralph under his chin "Why on EARTH would I hit a kid who is CLEARLY not right in the head!"

The others began to laugh at Ralph, the poor boy feeling surrounded as their jeers continued. It was bad enough that the Nicelanders had attacked him for doing nothing but to have his fellow forest giants LAUGH at him?

It was just too much to take.

He began to cry, tears rolling down his cheeks as he looked down at his feet.

"Awww, don't cry WUSS." Tilly laughed "I gotta story all cooked up for daddy an' your parents so NONE of us will get in trouble."

Ralph shrugged Tilly's hand away but she grabbed him painfully by his shoulder, leading him back to the village.

"Trust me, Ralph. Everythin' will be fine soon enough."


	5. Grounded

Chapter Five – Grounded

"WHAT WERE YA THINKIN'!?" bellowed Felix Sr. as he looked down at his cowering son "What in tha WORLD could have possessed ya ta take my hammer without permission an' ta chase down tha mayor's kid with it ta boot!?"

"I-I was just tryin' ta help…." Felix whimpered, looking down at the floor "G-Gene said his tooth hurt so I thought if I-!"

"Felix…AUGH!"

Again, the young boy flinched. It was only on rare occasions his father would become THIS upset and whenever he did, it was something that made Felix tremble in his shoes. Phyllis walked up to her husband, holding his shoulder.

"Dear, perhaps **_I_** should talk to Felix about this….Ray needs ya anyway."

The older Fix-It glared at his wife but she remained strong against his anger. Felix Sr. couldn't fight it off, finally giving in and walking out the door.

"Fine. But make sure the boy is in bed by tha time I get back, ya hear?"

"Clearly…" Phyllis said, crossing her arms and shutting the door. She walked over to her son, picking him up and carrying him off to the bed room.

_"M-mama….I'm sorry…"_

"I know ya are…" Phyllis sighed, clutching tightly onto her son "But that still doesn't mean ya can get away with what ya did. Son, your father an' I hid that thing for a reason!"

"B-but if it does such great things, why do ya hafta hide it?"

"Didn't ya hear what your father said before?" Phyllis said as she sat down on the bed "In the wrong hands, that hammer can do great damage an' after seein' those Forest Giants wreck tha place…."

Again, the woman sighed as she peered down at her tiny son. She could tell he felt absolutely HORRIBLE for what he had done but he still didn't understand the magnitude of his actions.

If this weren't a good time to explain everything, she didn't know when.

"Honey, I think…I think its time I told ya tha truth."

"O-okay…."

"That hammer has been in your father's family even before HE was born…" Phyllis began "Tha history goes so far back that even they lost track of when it was made but one thing is for certain, as long as a Fix-It carries it, good is always done."

"A-an' what if someone else gets it?" asked the young boy "Has that ever happened?"

"Once…" Phyllis said "Before your time….someone did get a hold of tha hammer an' used it to cause all chaos. It was HORRIBLE. People were hurt, things were broken an' for the first time, your daddy saw what danger could happen should someone else get a hold of it."

"B-But why does he still use it if it's so much trouble?"

"That's your father for ya…." Phyllis smiled, shaking her head "He always wants what's best for others an' he couldn't just let his family's legacy end there. That's why he keeps fixin', because it's in his blood…an' yours as well."

"But…"

Felix looked down at his little feet, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Baby?"

"Papa will NEVER let me use tha hammer now! Not with what I did with it!" Felix bawled, flinging himself into his mother's "I-I'm a terrible *hic!* fixer! I couldn't even help my friends when they *hic!* needed it an' I almost lost tha hammer before-!"

"Felix, Felix stop!" Phyllis said, kissing the boy on his forehead "Ya…ya just got excited. Ya wanted ta help lil Baby Blueberry which already shows ya got tha blood of a fixer in ya!"

The woman stopped, looking down at her son.

"But…but it was still wrong ta drag everyone in here an' take tha hammer."

"Y-Yes, ma'am…" Felix said shamefully, pouting.

"Don't give me any lip, boy…" Phyllis snickered "Or its gonna be THREE weeks without dessert!"

"Mama!"

"Sorry baby but ya hafta take it!" the woman said as she took Felix ot the bathroom, preparing his bath "Ya may be a Fix-it, but ya can't avoid a punishment."

Felix pouted again, "Betcha tha other kids aren't gettin' as much punishment."

"WHAT IN THE WORLD WERE YOU THINKING?!"

"Papa, please!"

"Don't papa ME, Gene!" growled Ray as he held his son's arms roughly "You knew better than to let Felix try to take his father's hammer so-!"

"B-But I didn't!" the little Nicelander cried "I-I! He-he-!"

"He **_WHAT?!_**" the mayor boomed.

The little boy sniffed back, tears rolling down his fat cheeks "H-he just wanted to fix my tooth! I didn't know what to say!"

"Gene, there is NOTHING wrong with your teeth! Instead of crying like some INFANT, you should learn to MAN UP and take what little pain that things brings you!"

"Oh, Raymond, settle down…" sighed Anne, taking the still crying boy in her arms "He's only a CHILD."

"He's OUR child, Anne. He's the future LEADER of the village." Growled Ray, not at all moved by his wife's pleas "He's going to be MAYOR before you know it but I will NOT have him turn out to be some SNIVELING little coward who tries to breeze through all the pains in life! And yet, you're trying to SUPPORT what he's done?!"

"You know that's not true!" Anne shouted back, her son still clutched in his arms.

"Sure sounds like you are!"

"Ray, I swear to the HEAVENS, I'm just TRYING to HELP, that's all!"

"If you want to HELP, Annie, I would suggest you stop BABYING Gene for once and treat him like the young man he is!"

"Babying?!" Anne scoffed "DEAR. You ARE aware that this kid is still losing his BABY TEETH…but you somehow think he's too OLD now?!"

Ray was busy writing away at his desk, huffing as he looked away from his wife and child.

"_Every day of pampering only makes him less competent for his role…."_

"M-mommy?"

The female Nicelander looked down, her child still holding a hand to his cheek. She knew that Gene was in pain but after the argument she had had with her husband, the woman was much too flustered to think straight. She sighed, placing Gene on her knee and putting a finger under his chin.

"Open up…"

Doing as he was told, Gene opened his mouth for his mother, the woman peering in. The loose tooth was twisted about, making it clear as to why Gene was in so much pain, gums red and swollen. Anne shook her head; this was beyond the point of teaching the child to 'toughen up'.

"Can't Felix just do this once? Please?" asked Anne "I mean, unless you want to PULL it out…"

Gene looked as if he seen the devil himself, squealing loudly "NO!"

Ray turned his back on his wife and child "Felix? No. The man already does too much for us, Annie and as I said, Gene has to go through pain ANYWAY. It'll be over soon enough…"

"But Ray-!"

"NOT ANOTHER WORD!" growled the mayor, making his wife jump back "Not…another word."

*Knock knock knock!*

The Nicelanders looked towards the door, Anne getting up and opening it only to see Felix Sr. standing on the other side.

"Hello, dear." Anne said, waving a hand as the repairman entered "I'm glad to see you're alright even with the events we had this evening."

"Thank ya, Annie….." smiled the repairman nervously "An' ya don't hafta worry 'bout me! Ehe, those Forest Giants can come knockin' but I'll always be-!"

"What a nice surprise…" the mayor said in a dignified manner, looking up at the taller Fix-It "So, I am guessing you're here to discuss what happened tonight?"

"Er, yes sir!"

Anne looked over her shoulder, glaring at Ray with cold eyes.

"Hey, darling."

"Y-yes?"

"How about I get you an ice pack for that tooth. I promise it'll feel better…."

Anna walked out of the room, slamming the door to the kitchen behind her rather loudly as Felix Sr. noticed. Now alone, Ray went back to his office chair, glaring at Felix from behind his desk.

"They're fine…" the mayor said, his voice so cold "They're still just shaken up about what happened…."

"W-well, just so long as you're ALL okay…."

"So….what do you think?" interrupted the mayor, clearly wanting to change the subject.

"A-about WHAT, sir?"

"Do you think we should build a wall or some sort of moat?" Ray said, pulling out some drafting paper and pencils "I know those louts don't touch water to bathe so-!"

"Um, about that Mayor…." Felix chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck "Um, ya really think such measures are a good idea?"

Ray looked up with cold eyes, a brow arching "Excuse me?"

"I mean….I know I haven't been around LONG enough ta know tha full story of why ya guys fight with tha Forest People but…"

"Why Felix…" Ray said, his hands folded together "Are you starting to STICK up for them?"

Felix gasped, his hands out "No, no, no sir! It's not that, its just-!"

"It's just what then, young man?" the mayor asked "SURLY you are not suggesting that I go into those forests and try to TALK with those people?"

That was EXACTLY what Felix was thinking.

"W-well, maybe something along the lines…."

"Felix. Son….come here."

Felix moved closer to the mayor though he did so nervously. The smaller man then put an arm around Felix though seeing as he only came up to about Felix's CHEST, his arm went around his waist instead.

"Felix, my family…well, we don't have a lot of history where we stayed in one place. We Nicelanders always have had the misfortune of finding a living space, only to be chased out of it by SOME monster who wants to use us as throwing bait."

"O-Oh?"

"Riiiiight…." Ray nodded, an unhinged smile on his face "But this land…THIS space. This is the FIRST place we have come by where we have actually set up a village that has lasted for more than, oh, two generations. We have ROOTS growing here Felix and I for one want it to stay that way."

"W-well, that's wonderful an' all…." meeped Felix "But…"

"BUT…" Ray growled "But the only thing that is threatening that are those GIANT FOREST PEOPLE!"

Felix was nearly knocked to the ground at Raymond's shout, the man surprised that such a tiny person could tell so loudly. As he saw however, Ray was FURIOUS, his chubby cheeks starting to flush red again.

"What happened tonight was just MORE of their animalistic behavior! They WANT to scare us away and YOU know that! They don't care what we have to say! As long as we pack up and move, things will be oh-so fine and dandy for them!"

Ray slammed a hand on his desk "Do you KNOW what it's like to be HARASSED by people who know you can't fight back?! **_DO YOU!?_**"

"S-sir, I can assure ya I know how ya feel so-!"

"THEN WHY WON'T YOU HELP US BUILD SOMETHING TO KEEP THEM OUT! TO SHOW THEM WE'RE NOT SCARED!?"

"RAYMOND!" Felix shouted, gripping the small mayor on his shoulders "While I am all for keepin' ya guys safe, I am not gonna allow ya ta BOX up everyone! Do ya know what that could do for everyone here?! It'll cut 'em off from everythin'!"

"But it will keep those brutes-!"

"No, no it won't!" Felix cut in "Those guys are a LOT smarter than ya make 'em out ta be! Puttin' up some WALL isn't gonna keep 'em out! If anythin', it's gonna tempt 'em ta keep breakin' in!"

"Then what do you suggest we do!? MOVE AGAIN!? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME?!"

"NO!" shouted Felix "In fact, I want ya to-!"

Felix glanced down at the tiny mayor but as he looked at Ray, he suddenly felt trapped. The man might have been near two feet shorter than Felix but he was just such a POWERFUL presence that the repairman knew any suggestion he made would be either blown off or met with more rage.

"Ray…"

"YES?"

"Just…just think for a moment…" sighed Felix "Just think about what's best for EVERYONE before you do something drastic."

"I AM THINKING-!"

"Think about your Annie an' your baby…." Felix said, putting a hand atop Ray's head, the man surprisingly letting out a squeak "Would ya rather for them ta be HAPPY….or locked away?"

Ray growled quietly, blushing as he turned his head towards the door. To his shock, he noticed that it was opened slightly, two pairs of eyes looking at them.

His family.

He blushed even deeper, the frightening presence he once held suddenly melting away.

"J-Just go!" Raymond stuttered, pushing Felix out the door.

"Oof, but mayor!"

"I SAID GO!"

Felix felt the door SLAMMING against his backside as he stumbled out, footsteps rushing inside the other room.

_"Dear are you okay?!"_

_"J-Just don't say anything!"_

_"But Ray-!"_

_"Damn it Annie-!"_

Felix knew better than to snoop on the others but he couldn't help to hear so much sadness and regret in the Mayor's voice before he walked away.

"Man…" the repairman sighed "Never thought things would get this deep!"

It seemed throughout the area, much a talk was going on about what had happened and all the perpetrators in the event were being punished in some way or another.

No dessert, no TV, no treks to the playground.

Everywhere, SOMEONE was being punished…

But further out into the forest….

**_"THEY DID WHAT TO YA?!"_** bellowed Horace, looking upon the bruises that were on his daughter's face.

"They all attacked us, daddy!" the girl wept, big billowing crocodile tears streaming down her face "W-We were just out lookin' at tha stars an' outta nowhere, those Nicelanders-!"

"Didn't I say they would do this?!" the leader of the forest giants said "First they try to get us with trick pies an' then they attack our kids?!"

"It's terrible!"

"It's horrible!"

"It's tha last straw!" the big man roared "We hafta come up with a plan soon! A plan to uproot those lil cavities an' send 'em packin'-!"

"Sir, wait…"

Horace turned, seeing Rudy walking up to him Ralph following close by "I don't mean to just barge in like this but don't ya think that plowin' through that village will do more harm than good?"

"If ya mean harm ta tha Nicelanders, I don't see what tha problem is with that!"

"Horace, think about it!" said Theresa, putting a hand on her son's shoulders "If those Nicelanders did THIS much to our kids, what else could they do?! They could be waiting for us right now, ready to spring some attack on us!"

"Ma'am…." Horace growled, his voice deep and angry "Are ya suggestin' we let those lil troglodytes get away with what they've done?!"

"N-no, sir-! I just-!"

"Then WHAT, Theresa?! Then WHAT!?"

"Hey, don't yell at her!" growled Rudy, holding a hand out between his wife and his leader "Let her speak for once! She might have a point!"

"Rudolph, look at your son. Look at what those TROLLS did ta him!"

Rudy couldn't help but look at his son's black eye, the boy turned in shame away from his father. The big man couldn't help but feel that something was off about his son's actions. Ever since he and the other forest children had staggered home, Ralph had kept his mouth SHUT. The others were more than ready to spill to everyone just what had happened at the Niceland apartments but Ralph?

Ralph remained silent.

There was something odd to his son's behavior Rudy thought to himself. The enormous black eye he had couldn't have been done by a Nicelander, not by a long shot.

Someone ELSE was the culprit to the injury but whoever it was, they had scared Ralph so badly that he was shamed into silence.

But if Ralph wouldn't talk, Rudy was unable to speak for his son, his words powerless against that of the honorable Horace.

"Sir, just wait…" Theresa said "I know…I know this is just another blow ta us but I have a terrible feelin'?"

"Yeeeees?"

"I have a feelin' that if we go in now, things will only get WORSE! For all of us!"

Horace looked at Rudy and his family, daggers showing trough his gaze but then he turned towards his own daughter. Tilly seemed up and excited to do some more wrecking but once Horace saw the bigger picture, he begrudging decided that, just for once, maybe Theresa was right.

"Okay…" the big man said, looking down at his fellow forest people "Listen up everyone. We're gonna be at a caution due ta those Nicelanders' actions but until somethin' else happen, we lie low. They're probably just waitin' for something, waitin' for a reason ta hurt our kids again!"

"But daaaaady!" Tilly whined, upset that her chance at knocking some NIclanders were taken away "Wh-what if they-!"

"Don't worry about it honey…" Horace said, kissing his daughter on the forehead "Papa, will take care of everything."

The girl growled, shooting an evil glare at Ralph.

This was all **HIS** fault. If he hadn't acted so mousey then no one would have suspected a thing.

"_You're DEAD._" The girl mouthed, walking back to her home with her father. Ralph shivered as he watched the girl walk off but he felt the heavy hand of his father on his shoulder.

"Ralph? What tha HECK were ya doin' out so late?!"

Ralph looked away, unable to face his father.

"HUH?!"

The hefty boy looked up at his father, his eyes filling with tears despite the angered look on his face. Without another word, Ralph ran back into the woods, sobbing a bit along the way.

"Baby, don't-!"

Ralph didn't want to be near them. The sounds of his village and the jeers of his peers only came together to form a terrible combination of anger and fear that was brewing inside Ralph's heart. The further he ran, the better he felt but he finally came to a stop once he saw the lights of the Niceland apartments glowing before him. He ducked in the bushes, making sure the others could not see him.

From his point of view, he could see the tiny people milling about, their silhouettes painted from the lights in the building. The sound of a tapping hammer and a heavenly ring filled the air, Felix Sr. continuing him work on repairing the greatly damaged building.

But Ralph took another look, looking higher.

There in his room sat a young boy, one who looked to be a spitting image of the repairman down below. He pouted at his window, looking off into the night sky.

It was the kid who had ran to rescue the other Nicelanders.

Ralph wasn't sure what to think when he saw Felix but there was just something about the boy, even though he was pouting, that made him think that perhaps….maybe.

Maybe there was someone in those apartments he could trust, whom would be his friend.


End file.
